Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these" (Matthew 19:14). If Jesus said this, why have we decided that children are an inconvenience, that they prevent us from living life to the fullest, or that they are distracting and rambunctious and therefore should not be allowed in the church service? In that very story in the gospels, it was His own disciples who took these worldly attitudes, even rebuking those who brought their children to Jesus. You can imagine that they probably thought they were saving Jesus from the headache of "dealing with them", but Jesus' response shows us that children aren't a headache at all, and that we must become like them in our faith and trust of Jesus. This week at Friendship, we'll finish up the Family Values series by talking about "The Role of Children". The children will be with us in the service, but adults need to hear this as well. It is our responsibility to train our children to fulfill the role God has given them in the family. We must foster a culture of obedience and trust, while also remembering that part of their role is to observe and learn from us. If that isn't a sobering thought that makes you as an adult want to draw closer to Jesus, I don't know what will! We hope to see you this weekend!